While most leisure activities have changed and lost a portion of their audiences over time, pool has both survived and thrived in the U.S. After hosting competitions for 30 seasons, the Valley 8-Ball League Association (VNEA) celebrated the association’s 160-millionth league game. The organization was established in 1980 by a handful of operators who never anticipated the wild success of the VNEA and the international popularity of the games.

Bob Fay, longtime industry veteran and now Director of Government Relations for AMI Entertainment Network, has been appointed to serve on the U.S. Department of Commerce's Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Consumer Goods. He will represent AMI Entertainment and the U.S. amusements industry. Fay has vast government experience, first as a former FBI agent and longtime expert in international trade matters, and then serving 14 years in the late 1980s through the 1990s as Executive Director and President of the American Amusement Machine Association (AAMA).

In Nashville, Tennessee, The Grand Ole Opry and the Opryland Hotel, the central shrine of country music and site of several AMOA conventions, sustained serious water damage following historic floods during early May. The state sustained at least $1 billion in damages, also affecting Tennessee amusement operators.

A few Texas school districts have introduced a new curriculum that could appeal to younger students and motivate them toward a future career. The Fort Bend Independent School District (ISD) in Sugar Land, a suburb of Houston, is focused on recruiting incoming freshman for the new program this fall, which will open to all Fort Bend ISD students.

The Colorado Lottery could soon operate video lottery terminals in the state's bars and restaurants, if lawmakers pass Senate Concurrent Resolution 10 by a two-thirds approval vote. Colorado voters would then have to authorize the machines in a referendum in November.

While it is too early to quantify the disastrous economic effects of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill on the Gulf Coast states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, tourism will almost certainly be affected for months to come. Summer is the height of the vacation season, and Gulf Coast amusement/arcade operators worry that their resort and beachfront location revenues will plummet if the spill is not contained and cleaned up quickly.

By an almost two-to-one margin in April, the Florida House approved a proposed 20-year gambling compact with the Seminole tribe. The state Senate passed the compact by a three-to-one vote. It should go through official measures smoothly since Florida Governor Charlie Crist strongly supports it and the U.S. Interior Department, which regulates Native American gaming, should also give its okay.

Oklahoma legislators passed a bill that triples the state’s sales tax decal for vending and coin-op amusement equipment from $50 to $150. The price increase took effect on July 1. Currently, vending and amusement operators buy a decal at an annual flat fee for each machine on location. This cost takes the place of paying total sales volume taxes. Operator fees have remained stable since 1988. They apply to food and beverage machines, as well as jukeboxes and games.

After years of co-location, the three national trade associations that own Fun Expo- IAAPA, AMOA and AAMA-have decided to shut the show down. The convention had lost money last March when commingled with the Amusement Expo in Las Vegas. As a 50% owner, IAAPA controlled the show’s destiny, and constant rumors circulated that the show would be discontinued.

In Nashville, Tennessee, The Grand Ole Opry and the Opryland Hotel, the central shrine of country music and site of several AMOA conventions, sustained serious water damage following historic floods during early May. The state sustained at least $1 billion in damages, also affecting Tennessee amusement operators.

One of the worst examples was in Old Hickory, just north of Nashville. The Riverside Family Fun World, a large FEC, included an arcade, batting cages, gokart track and miniature golf course. All were severely damaged from 12-ft.- high waters.

The US Navy’s Office of Naval Research recently released a study that confirms that videogame playing increases cognitive abilities up to 20%. The story on strategypage.com claims videogame activity helps troops solve problems more quickly and enact solutions faster.

The Illinois amusement operators are watching the ongoing political and economic erosion of the planned Illinois video gaming market.  More than 63 towns and counties have already opted, with potentially a dozen more.

The AMOA hosted its first 45-minute webinar to its Board of Directors and Political Action Committee (PAC) donors in early February. The topics affecting amusement operators included taxes, product safety, smoking regulations, copyright law enforcement and national legislative briefings.

On December 28, 2009, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg signed amended legislation that increases how many coin-operated games may be placed in the city’s public locations without an arcade license. Officials from the Amusement and Music Owners Association of New York (AMOA-NY) joined the mayor in the official signing. The threshold of game placements rises from four to nine. An arcade license is required for locating 10 or more games at a single site.

The AMOA has announced its dates for the start of its 2010 Notre Dame Management Development Program on the South Bend, Indiana campus. The next Masters II class begins with courses set for the weekend of October 23 and 24. The standard program, Class XV’s first session, will be held from October 22 to 25. More details to be available soon.

According to a December 22, 2009 ruling from the North Carolina Court of Appeals, the state’s General Assembly’s 2006 ban on video poker is lawful. It ruled it legal despite offering the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians the right to operate gambling games on tribal land while denying that opportunity to other North Carolina citizens.

In what would seem obvious, the chairman of the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) wants to ban operators who have been prosecuted or fined for running “gray-area” pokers from participating in Illinois’ planned legal video lottery market. He made the announcement at a December 16, 2009 meeting of the regulatory organization.

Good news for AMOA member operators. For the first time in several years, the Jukebox License Office (JLO) has announced that jukebox license fees will remain unchanged. Each fall, the JLO releases it fees for the coming year. JLO Manager Katie Wilkinson has reported that the 2010 rates will be the same as the 2009 fees.

Despite the ruling from the Alabama State Supreme Court on November 13 that state officials claims bans electronic bingo games as previously operated, new resorts are running the games. The court said that games seized in a law enforcement raid operate “almost exactly like slot machines.”

Despite the number of local jurisdictions “opting out” of Illinois’ planned video lottery market reaching 40, analysts with the Illinois state accounting officials claim they are not concerned. Their statistics show that this only reflects 10% of the state‘s population.

For almost a year, small businesses in the U.S. have complained that banks both large and small have not been lending money to them. The Small Business Administration claims more than half of the private sector employers create 60% to 80% of all new jobs. The majority of American amusement operators are small business owners, and many have suffered economic setbacks because of the unavailability of loans and ongoing credit.

It became official at the close of business on October 30…the International Association for the Leisure and Entertainment Industry (IALEI) ceased to operate. The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA). It is estimated that 559 IALEI- comprised of 476 family entertainment centers and 83 suppliers will transition to IAAPA. Current memberships will be honored through December 31, 2010.

The American Amusement Machine Association (AAMA) has launched a new Facebook industry-themed “fan page”, called “Out-Of-Home Entertainment“. The social network site has 60 million U.S. members, and AAMA is positioning the page as the Internet hub for coin-op. They also want to reach the player base.

The Amusement and Music Owners Association of New York (AMOA-NY) believes the law is vital to protecting operator-location agreements. The trade group aims to protect its latest contract samples, which stipulates service terms between operators and locations, and is available only for members.

Illinois amusement operators are growing afraid of scaled down participation in legalized video poker.  Cook County, home of Chicago and America’s second largest county with 128 municipalities and five million-plus people, voted twice this fall to reject legalized, operator-run video poker. To date, more than two dozen municipalities across Illinois have voted to opt out.

After two decades of rumours and discussion, officials from both the Amusement and Music Operators Association (AMOA) and the American Amusement Machine Association (AAMA) announced a show merger. On September 24, the groups disclosed that the AAMA's Amusement Showcase International (ASI) trade show will be combined into a single show with the AMOA's International Expo. The show will collocate with Fun Expo on March 10-12, 2010 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

In a six-to-one decision, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled in late September that prior to the Ohio Lottery Commission installing 17,500 video lottery terminals (VLTs) in the state's seven racetracks, voters must approve the action in a statewide referendum. The ruling will delay Democratic Governor Ted Strickland's July 10 executive order to install the VLTs next year.

Unlike the decades when Nevada and then Atlantic City enjoyed a casino monopoly in the U.S., legalized gaming in some form has proliferated throughout the country. Today, 40 states have some form of wagering, and casinos have sprung up on land, rivers, on Indian reservation lands and in racetracks. Also, video lottery terminals in taverns are in several states, some with operator participation and others run strictly by the state government.

One Illinois county's officials have already voted unanimously to ban newly legalized video lottery terminals from unincorporated areas. The ban will exempt cities in DuPage County near Chicago, but several other counties may follow their lead.     

Following several contentious months and long debate, an August 26 vote approved the merger between the International Association for the Leisure and Entertainment Industry (IALEI) and the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA). The merger plan passed by an overwhelming majority- 83%- in favor of the proposal.

A new court ruling has delayed an earlier court's ruling in Ohio. For a brief period, operators were permitted to award noncash prizes valued above $10 for skill games. Following the new decision, operators are once again restricted to giving prizes worth $10 or less.

Institutional investors have predicted that IGS' second quarter revenue will hit a new quarter high, making it the highest profit earner in the Asian gaming sector. Chinesegamer and UserJoy were predicted to be the second and third most profitable respectively.

Penghu County's signature gathering process succeeded after five months.  Lan Chun-yi who submitted the referendum proposal, sent 3,853 copies of joint signature letters to the Penghu County Election Committee on July 31.The County Election Committee announced earlier that the referendum would be held on September 26.

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is considering a phased-in five-to-10 year plan to halt all tobacco sales on military bases. This ban would outlaw smoking by anyone in uniform, including battlefield soldiers.

Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell plans to sign a video poker legalization bill as a fundraising measure to help erase a projected $3.25 billion shortfall. The original plan was to fund college scholarships, but economic emergencies burdening the state may change the scope. Despite being legally required to pass a budget by June 30, as of press time, Pennsylvania did not have an approved budget.

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland has granted 10-year licenses to legalize up to 17,500 slot machines, or video lottery terminals (VLTs), to be installed in Ohio's seven racetracks. The state lottery will regulate the machines. Ohio has confronted severe economic downturns. The last minute deal between the governor and the state legislature included legal definitions and regulations for the permitted slots within the state's budget bill. The slots are projected to raise $933 million in tax revenues over Ohio's next two-year budget cycle. Strickland's executive order may face a court challenge.

Texas law enforcement agencies throughout the state are reselling seized eight-liner machines. Confiscated from allegedly illegal game rooms, these machines are then sold back to the original operators in those same game rooms or other venues. Houston's local Channel 11 news reports that some of the confiscated machines are auctioned on eBay for $250 and up.

In veto-proof majorities in both the Illinois House and Senate, each licensed bar and truck stop statewide will be permitted to operate up to five video gaming devices. As part of an omnibus bill favored by Governor Pat Quinn, the Video Gaming Act is among many fundraising provisions. The 30% tax on legal poker earnings could generate $375 million in annual revenues for the state, with much allocated toward educational projects.

President Barack Obama has endorsed The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which will give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) unprecedented authority to regulate tobacco products. The measure overwhelmingly passed both the Senate and the House in early June.

The Louisiana State Senate has approved SB 273, requiring video poker machines inside truck stops to be at least half a mile from residential properties. If enacted into law, it would apply to truck stops seeking new gaming license applications after January 1, 2010.

As of press time, negotiators from the International Association for the Leisure and Entertainment Industry (IALEI) and the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) were completing the conditions of the proposed merger between the two groups.

U.S. House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA) has introduced the Internet Gambling Regulation Consumer Protection & Enforcement Act. It would allow online gambling in the U.S. for the first time in three years. American businesses could legally compete in this market for the first time.

After an eventful decade, veteran American Amusement Machine Association (AAMA) leader Mike Rudowicz has stepped down as president. With 40 years of industry experience, he brought knowledge of both distribution and manufacturing to his job.

The registration of GTI Asia China Expo 2009 has started; the first companies to complete the registration were members of Panyu Game Association, Panyu government, Jucheng Technology, Shuang Ying, Belrare, Borden, Yi Eel Shang Enterprise, Nippo Tusho, Zhong Yi, 7 Color, Fuchen and BingoKing International; more companies will be finishing the registration soon.

The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the largest and most influential membership organization of blind people in the United States, claims that up to 70,000 Americans become legally blind each year.

The National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) is urging operators to lobby their Congressional representative against the so-called "employee free choice" or "card check" legislation. It eliminates the secret ballot in union elections and could negatively impact small businesses.

If Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell's proposed video poker plan- House Bill 1317- which excludes operators, is legalized, up to half of the state's 400 amusement companies would likely close. John Milliron, legislative counsel of the Pennsylvania Amusement and Music Machine Association (PAMMA) testified before the Pennsylvania House Gaming Oversight Committee on May 7. Milliron warned this formula would cut into entertainment dollars used for tavern coin-operated amusements. The Pennsylvania Tavern Association's executive director also testified, claiming state and local taxes and licensing fees taverns would negate their 25% share.

Bad news for operators with equipment in restaurants and food service operations. NPD Group, a research firm, has reported that young adults- ages 18 to 24- have restricted their restaurant visits. This group represents the most lucrative restaurant demographic. As parents seek ways to save money, more are leaving their children home. Children's parties also declined by 3%.

Accusing state legislators of hypocrisy for running a state lottery while banning privately-owned video poker, a state representative  plans to introduce a bill are underway to legalize a video poker program that could raise $500 million annually. North Carolina had legal amusement-only video poker until 2007, the year after the lottery was launched.

In May, a membership board vote will decide if the International Association for the Leisure and Entertainment Industry (IALEI) will be absorbed into the Family Entertainment Center (FEC) committee of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA). IAAPA's board must also approve a merger.

President Barack Obama unveiled a $730 million small-business stimulus package on March 16. Banks receiving federal bailout money must increase lending to small businesses to help make payroll, purchase equipment and maintain (or expand) employment levels.

Fewer attendees were at the March Amusement Showcase International (ASI) and co-located Fun Expo trade shows. The economy and stricter company travel policies were the explanations.

The National Dart Association's (NDA) new MySpace page went live in March. NDA officials hope its presence showcases the association via videos, slideshows and blogs. The MySpace page lets visitors sign up for NDA's player e-newsletter and find quick links to the association's services. MySpace members can add NDA as a friend at myspace.com/ndadarts.

The National Pinball Museum launched a new website, www.nationalpinballmuseum.org. The site offers unique pinball premiums for gift ideas, plus information about a little-known pinball museum in Paris. Viewers may sign up for the National Pinball Museum's quarterly newsletter Tilt.

South Dakota lawmakers have recommended that the state keep its split with the video poker industry on a 50-50 basis. Currently, South Dakota receives about $112 million annually from video poker.

Video poker operators got both good and bad news on February 19. A Superior Court judge ruled on that North Carolina's 2006 ban on video poker machines was illegal. However, he also required that additional legal proceedings on the issue take place before any operators could revive the poker market.

By late 2009, videogame manufacturer Merit Entertainment and jukebox make Rowe International will assimilate their production facilities and staffing. They will shift production of Rowe jukeboxes, money changing machines and Merit terminals to Reynosa, Mexico, along the Texas-Mexico border. The move will result in the loss of 100 jobs.

After four months of testing, TouchTunes jukeboxes across the U.S. will be able to use wireless broadband technology. The jukebox company will offer customers a two-year contract deal for $10.45 per week. Their focus was to offer a flexible and economical method for connecting the TouchTunes network to broadband wireless. One advantage is that while enjoying the benefits of hardwired connections, wireless services eliminate the time-consuming, complex processes. The speed also increases operator revenues by 25% over dialup boxes.

Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, who effectively legalized casino slot parlors in 14 venues state wide, is looking to expand gaming to help the commonwealth. He has proposed legalizing video poker, awarding the proceeds to funding educational scholarships. His original target date of this fall has created a massive response from parents seeking help with next semester's tuition costs.